Since Crisco and Spry were pretty much the original hardened vegetable shortenings offered as a substitute for lard , lard can be more or less substituted on a 1 for 1 basis in recipe's calling for vegetable shortening. Don't think I'd wanna make butter cookies with lard. Yeast dough jelly donuts (berliners) and whole wheat krullers fried in lard are delish; as are french frys. But at 99 cents a pound you need to shell out $5 to $10 for the fat.

Do you need the method too? Place dry ingredients in a bowl, cut lard into dry ingredients until pieces are like cornmeal or slightly larger. Dunk your hands into ice water and let them get cold before blending in the water. Add about 3 tbsps water and "stick" dough together. Add the last 2 tbsps at your discretion. The dough should all stick together but not be wet. This is enough for one double crust pie.

__________________You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. Robin Williams Alix

Do you need the method too? Place dry ingredients in a bowl, cut lard into dry ingredients until pieces are like cornmeal or slightly larger. Dunk your hands into ice water and let them get cold before blending in the water. Add about 3 tbsps water and "stick" dough together. Add the last 2 tbsps at your discretion. The dough should all stick together but not be wet. This is enough for one double crust pie.

Alix, have you been into my grandma's recipe file? That's exactly the recipe my family has always used, except we add a pinch of salt.

I've just made lard for the first time and want to try making pie crusts and pastries using it because I've always heard that they make them flakier and richer.

Can I substitute Lard for Butter on a one to one ratio?

Any good recipes using lard out there? -- kinda literally this time.

When we visited my in-laws relatives in the U.P. of Michigan, Cornish pasties were always on the menu for dinner. They made pasties with beef suet and I have to tell you there isn't a crust I've tasted since that can compare. Suet (lard) makes the flakiest, richest crust ever for savory pies and pasties. Not sure about fruit pies, might be a little too "lardy" but I don't know.